Lawton Looking Foward To CAO Role In Calaveras County
San Andreas, Ca — Solano County Deputy Administrator Robert Lawton is looking forward to taking over as Calaveras County´s top government official on January 22nd.
Lawton has been with Solano County since January of 2005. Prior to that, Lawton spent approximately 23 years at the state and local level in Wisconsin and New York.
“My wife Francine and I like to travel around northern California on the weekends, so we came to know Calaveras County through visits and it reminded us of places we grew up and the kind of communities we´re use to,” says Lawton. “When the advertisement was posted in the national journals I submitted my name because I thought it would be a great opportunity to work someplace where we would like to live.”
The new Calaveras CAO has a Masters Degree from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelors Degree from the State University of New York at New Paltz. While a public manager, he has continued his education, completing the UC Berkeley Executive Seminar and the University of Virginia Senior Executive Institute program.
“I think the Board had the enviable position of having what I would consider three excellent candidates,” says Interim CAO Brent Harrington. “That caused much discussion among the Board members. I was very pleased from my perspective of how they discussed all of the pros and cons of the best candidates.”
The Board of Supervisors came to an informal agreement during a closed session meeting this week, and Lawton´s official approval will come at the first meeting in January.
“It was a tough choice, but the Board was especially impressed with Bob´s background and enthusiasm,” said County Chair Bill Claudino in a statement.
Lawton will have a full slate of issues to address when he steps in on January 22nd, ranging from the new jail to creating a General Plan. Lawton, however, feels that the biggest issue will be dealing with the effects of the State´s $14 billion deficit.
Pending approval by the Board of Supervisors, Lawton will reportedly be paid a salary of $160,000.
Written by BJ Hansen
